Controller for motor-vehicles.



PATENTED JULY 10, 1906.

G. E. FRANQUIST. CONTROLLER FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZB. 1905.

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No. 825,531. PATENTED JULY 10 1906.

G. E. FRANQUIST.

CONT"0LLER FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26. 1905.

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M Z M PATENTED JULY 10, 1906.

G. E. FRANQUIST. CONTROLLER FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZG. 1905.

4.SHEETSSHEET 3.

UTED STATES PATENT oTFIon.

GUSTAVE E. FRANQUIST, OF NEW YORK, N; Y. l

I coNTaoLLER FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

, L'atentedfiuiy 10, 1906.

Application filed May 26, 1905. Serial No. 262,422.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAVE E. FRAN- QUIST, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city 'of New York, in the borough of Manhattan and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controllers for Mot or-Vehicles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. My invention relates to controllers for motor-vehicles.

In-apparatus of this class it is desirable to provide means for automatically regulating the s. eed of the vehicle whereby the'same may e maintained at any fixed rate regardless of the road, grade, or other conditions; At the same time it is desirable to have connections by which the governor can be set or adjusted to act at different speeds, so that the vehicle maybe maintained at a low or a high rate of speed entirely automatically for any distance, as desired. It is furthermore important to provide independent means for disconnecting the governor and controlling the speed entirely at will.

I am aware that speed-governors have been applied in various ways to'motor-vehicles to control their movement but the objection to the ordinary governor is that when once set to act at any given velocity it is constant for between the parts is fatal to its accuracy.v

' of the parts.

that velocity and cannot be conveniently manipulated to vary its adjustment. It is one of the objects of-my invention to over come this defect. To make the governor adjustable, however, presents serious difficulties, since this is a delicate instrument to balance, and any backlash or loose connection The desideratum to be attained, therefore, is a governor of the usual form,'of which t es having high efficienc are readily obtaina 1e,

and combined with t s to have independent devices for its adjustment so disposed as to in-,

sure against any backlash or loose connection The urpose of my invention is to provide a simpiie, compact, convenient, and inexpensive construction by which the foregoing objects ma be attained.

A furt er object of the invention is to permit the adjustable part of the mechanism to be wholly disconnected at any time, so that the governor can befree to act in its usual way unencumbered by any auxiliary mechanism for its adjustment.

A further object of the invention is to has this adjustable connection located on the .ness.

net 3 at the forward end thereof.

bination, location, and arran ement of parts,

as will be more fully hereina ter set forth, as shown in the accompanying drawings, and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

Figure 1 is alongitudinal sectional View of a portion of a motor-vehicle having a construction of controlling means embodying the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same part of theinlet-pi e, the engine being removed for the purpose 0 clear- Fi 3 is a detail side elevation, partly in section, s owing more clearly the structure of some of the parts illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig.4 is a detail longitudinal sectional view of the steering ear orwhe el. Fig. 5is alongitudinal sectiona view of the commutator, said section being taken on the line 5 5 of Fi .2 and Fig. 6

is a view taken on the sectionme 6 6 ofFig. 2

looking in the direction of the arrows, certain parts being broken away. I

Referring now to the figures of the drawings and to the various referencesi ns there on, in which like signs represent ike parts in the difi'erent views, 1 denotes a motorvehicle chassishaving the usual hydrocarhon-engines 2 2 beneath the usual bon- 4 denotes the usual steering gear or head, which may comprise a wheel or lever or any other desired form of steering connection. The

engines or motors 23;.2 are geared to the driving-wheels of the motor vehicle in the usual manner, which forms no part of my present invention. vention may be embodied in widely-varying forms of vehicle and that various constructions of motor and drivi and steering parts rie to suit the different conditions which may. arise in practice and the particular taste or view of any particular designer.

My invention lies in the motor-regulating It is obvious that the in-' -ma be used. All these eatures may be vaparts which I will now fully and particularly set forth.

. shown) upon the-main driving-shaft 14 of the I its right-hand position.

ed as to normally press a collar 16, which is loosely sleeved upon the shaft 12, toward which form a part of the speed-governor act by centrifugal force in opposition to the spring 1.5 and tend to press the collar 16 to the left in opposition to said spring when the governor is rotated.

17 denotes a lever fulcrumed upon the stud 18 and having "a forked arm 19, arranged to embrace-the collar 16, whereby the lever is oscillated when said collar is moved endwise upon its shaft. The lever 17 is pivotally connected, as at20, with a link 21, which connection may be made adjustable by screwthreading said link, as at 22. This link 21 constitutes a portion of the connection for operating the engine-valve.

It is to be understood that the above-described form of speed-governor and connections thereof is merely an illustrative form of my embodiment of my invention, and it is obvious that any other form of governor and ?connections may "be substituted therefor .valve or regulating means of the vehicle-m0- tor. I have shown in the drawings a form of motor-regulating means comprising a valve (broadly designated as 25) which controls the air-inlet of the hydrocarbon-motor illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the ordinary hydrocarbon-motor may be regulated by throttling the mixture or charge, whereby a smaller charge passes into the engine, The valve illustrated in the drawings is of the type known as a piston-valve and comprises a casing or cylinder. 26, having ports 27, 27, and 28. The piston or valve member 29 is moved to and fro within its containing-walls by the piston-rod 30. The air is drawn through the inlet 28 by the suction of the engine-through the pipe 28 and through additional pipes 28, leading to the inlet-valves of the engine to a varying degree, depending on the amount to which the valve 29 is opened.

28 indicates the oil-nozzle leading from any suitable source, (not shown,) over the surface of which the air rushes, so as to become carbureted by the oil aspirated from such nozzle. When the valve 29 is opened only a shortdistance, all the air is supplied from the pipe 28; but when it is'drawn more fully .reted. air from the pipe 28*. of the carbureter are presented more fully The usual weights when the pedal 46 is depresse out its openings 31 and 31 register with the openings 27 and 27 in the cylinder-walls to a varying degree, so that air is admitted therethrough. This air mixes with the carbu- These features in my companion application, Serial No. 273,719, and need not, therefore, be repeated in greaterdetail here.

I provide means of connection between the link 21 and the piston-rod 30.

35 denotes a rock-shaft journaled in any stationary part of the frame, and upon this rock-shaft are fixed rock-arms 36, 37, and 38, moving rigidly together on their pivot-shaft, the rock-arm 36 being connected to the link 21, before mentioned, through the pivot 39, and' the rock-arm 37'being connected at 40, through an intermediate link 41 to the pistonrod 30, before mentioned. The arm 38 is provided with a pin 42, adapted to engage a slotted link 43, the purpose of which will be later explained. I have also shown a pin 44 upon the arm 36, which is adapted to engage a slotted link 45. g

It is clear that the particular arrangement of the various lever-arms may be modified in various ways and still fall within my invention, and I do not desire to be limited or restricted tothe particular construct on shown. The link 45 is operatively connected to an form'of o crating means, whereby said lin may be' rawn outward when desired. I have shown a convenient construction in which a foot-pedal 46, pivoted at 47, is connected by an arm 48 and pivot 49 with said link 45. A spring 50, acting u on an arm 51, exerts a tension to normal y hold the pedal 46 in raised osition against a stop52 uponthe frame. t will be a parent: that thrown outward for a purpose which will .be-later explained.

ing gear or head, so that such adjustment may be variedby means within easy reach of the operator. A convenient-construction for this purpose is illustrated in the drawin s, in which 55 (see particularly Fig. 4) in icates the shaft of the steering-wheel 56. This shaft is made in tubular form in such a way that two casings 57 and 58 may slide telescopically within the same, the casing 58 sliding within the casing 57. Each of these casings, which I shall term worm-casings, is provided withan interior or female thread 57 and 58, the thread 57 being upon the casing 57 and the thread 58 being upon the casing 58. Within the tubular shaft 55 I have mounted a regulating-spindle 60, which is provided with aworm-thread 60, engagthe lever is.

ahssl ing the thread 58, before mentioned. Upon the spindle 60 is rotatably supported a regulating-sleeve 61, which has a worm-thread 61, threaded to engage the thread 57-, before mentioned. The s indle 60 and the sleeve 61 are provide with regulatingcranks 60 and 61, respectively, by which said spindle and sleeve may be set to any desired adjustment. It will be ap arent that when said parts are rotatably adjusted the worm-sleeves 57 and 58 will be moved independently of one another longitudinally of the shaft 55 and may be maintained therein at any desired relation.

To the sleeve 58 is connected a' rod 62, which extends downward through the shaft 55 and projects at the bottom thereof, as may be seen by reference to Fig. 3. sleeve 57 has connected thereto a rod 62, which is likewise shown in Fig. 3. These rods form a part of the motor-controlling device which embodies the principle of my invention and are connected to the engine'parts in a manner which will now be described. It

is merely essential that these rods be capable of adjustment within the shaft of the steering-head, and it is to be understood that the particular construction of the sleeve, &c.,

within said shaft are merely a form which I have found to be a practicable construction in actual use. The rod 62 is operatively connected to a sprin 63 in such a way as to adjust the tension of the same, and for this purpose the rod 62 is shown in the drawings connected to a lever 64, having a sleeve pivoted thereon, which slidabl surrounds the link 43, before mentione 64 is a spring for counteracting backlash. 66 denotes a nut or collar upon said link 43, which may be adjusted in any convenient way. The spring 63 is disposed between the sleeve 65 and the collar 66, whereby as the rod 62 is adjusted the spring, and thereby the link 43, is put under greater or less tension, as required. 66 denotes a second collar upon the link 43, so disposed that when the sleeve 65 is raised to its upper osition it will contact with the collar an raise the link 43 positively. Under these circumstances the pin 42 has free play in the slot 43 of the link 43, and said link is thereby operatively disconnected from the valve-controlling mechanism.

The rod 62 is connected in any suitable way to means for operating the commutator or timer. of the engine. Referrin to Fi 2, I have illustrated a commutator %broadl y designated as 70) which is operated from an auxiliary shaft 71, geared at 72 to the main driving-shaft of thin engine. This commu: tator is used in connection with the usual battery andrnay be of any suitable form having a casing 73, which contains the usual contacts by which the ignition-circuits are made and broken by the rotating part.

The

This casing 73 is-normally stationary, but may be rotatably adjusted by a pin 74, to which I have shown connected a chain 75, running over a pulley 76 and attached to a link 77, which is operated from a bell-crank 78, attached to the rod 62, before mentioned.

When, therefore, the position of the rod 62' is varied, the link 77 and chain are operated and the position of the casing 73 correspondingly changed. A spring 79 is shown for the purpose of returning the casing and maintaining the chain 75 in taut relation. As will be well understood by those skilled in .the art the efiect-of adjusting the casing is to throw the spark backward or forward with respect to the engine-cycle for each ofv the cylinders, whereby the time of the spark may be adjusted for the particualr speed at which the vehicle is operating.

In addition to the battery with its commutator, above described, I provide a magnetoigniter, (indicated in the drawings at 80,) geared to'the main driving means at 80 and which also has a commutator whose timing period is adjustable through any suitable mechanismas, for example, a worm and pinion (not shown) on a rock-shaft 81. The rock-shaft 81 has a link connection 82 with a rock-shaft 83, extending across the vehicleframe. A chain connection 84 around a pulley 85 is shown connected to an arm 81 on rock-shaft 83 and joined to the pull-rod 77,. previously described. By this means when the rod 77 is pulled the timing period of the magneto-commutator is shifted at the same time as that of the battery. Both are adapted to. simultaneously furnish the ignition-spark, and either maybe open-circuit'ed and cut out of action b suitable switches upon the operating-boar as desired.

The 0 eraton of the invention will be understoo from the preceding description. It will be seen that the governor-spring 15 is normally effective to push the link 21 toward the left and open the valve 25 through the When,

mined amount, the centrifugal force of the usual governor-weights becomes sufiic'ient to overbalance the s ring 15 and the link 21 is drawn to the rig t, thereby closing the valve 25 and restricting the speed in the usual Wa It is obvious that for a given tension 0 the spring 15 there will be a certain speed at which the weights will overbalance such tension, and it is ,at this speed that the vehicle will be maintained in the absence of. any other device by which the point of the governor operation may be varied. By my invention, owever, the efiective pressure of the governorspring is varied, so that the governor will operate at different speeds accord:

maintain the vehicle. ernor-spring 15 can be constructed in any debeing to oppose the spring 15 and subtract a art of the effective pressure of the same. nasmuch as the tension of the spring 63 is made adjustable from the steering-head by the crank 60", as above explained, the amount of spring opposition to the main governor-spring 15 is varied, and the effective pressure of such governor-spring is adjusted to any desired amount. Accordingly the speed of the vehicle may be set to be maintained at any desired amount over any conditio ns of road which may occur by manipulating the crank 60 upon the steering head or gear. If for any reason a high speed is suddenly demanded, this may be readily obtained by depressing the pedal 46, which at once draws the valve to its wide-open position." The normal operation of the valvecontrolling means is not interferred with by this last-named mechanism on account of the slotted-linkconnection 45. .In like manner the slotted connection of the link 43 with the arm 38 permits its connected regulating .means to be operativelydisengaged from the valve-controller, under which circumstances the vehicle will be maintained at the speed to which the governor was originall set to Of course t e govsired way e and can be made independently adjustab by any suitable means.

While I have described various constructions embodying the members of my invention, I do not desire to be limited or restricted thereto, since it is obviousthat the invention may be embodied in many widely-varying forms of particular construction. "The inven- In a system of control for motor-vehicles,

an engine,a valve arranged to control its speed, a governor connected to'sald-valve, a link normally spring tensloned and connected to said valve to influence the action.

of said governor, fneans for withdrawing the influence of said link, a foot pedal, and

"means whereby the governor isxwholly thrown out of operative relation by said footpedal.

In witness whereof I subscribe my signature in the'presence of two witnesses.

GUSTAVE E. FRANQUIST. Witnesses:

\ FRANK S. OBER,

WALDQ M. CHAPIN. 

